The present invention relates to a dose counter device and to a fluid dispenser incorporating such a dose counter.
Dose counter systems for fluid dispenser devices are well known in the state of the art. Such a dose counter system generally comprises counting means that are usually in the form of rotary disks, and that are turned through a predetermined angle each time the fluid dispenser is actuated. Such disks generally carry digits to indicate the number of metered quantities or xe2x80x9cdosesxe2x80x9d dispensed or remaining to be dispensed, the digits generally being provided on the outer peripheral edges of such counting disks, i.e. on the outer edge that defines the thickness of the counting disk. Thus, each time the fluid dispenser is actuated, a corresponding digit comes into register with a suitable window enabling said digit to be viewed from outside the dispenser. Counters of this type are disclosed in particular in Documents EP-0 484 188, EP-0 472 915, EP-0 539 469, EP-0 539 469, EP-0 764 312, and WO 98/01822.
Those counters suffer from drawbacks. Firstly, the presence of such a counter in a fluid dispenser device implies that the size of said dispenser device must be increased, and the larger the number of doses to be counted, the larger the volume required for the counter system. In particular, in order to count a large number of doses, it is necessary either to increase the diameter of the counting disk so that it is possible to write more digits on the edge of the disk, or else to provide one or more superposed counting disks co-operating, for example, by means of a cam system, the disks then representing respectively the units, the tens, the hundreds, etc. The size of the counter system is then increased considerably along the axis of rotation of said counting disks. In addition, such dose counter systems are not easy to adapt to a dispenser device, and relatively complex means for actuating the counter are generally necessary for coupling actuating of the counter to actuating of the fluid dispenser device. Furthermore, that type of counter is not generally adaptable to dispenser devices that have various different actuating strokes. Thus, for example, in a metering valve, the actuating stroke of the valve member can vary depending on the metering valve model used, so that specific actuating means must be provided for each valve model. In addition, the actuating stroke of the valve member of a single metering valve can vary between succession occasions on which said valve is actuated, which can give rise to malfunctioning in the counting of the doses, it being possible that a dose might not be counted, or might be counted twice due to the variable actuating stroke being respectively too short or too long.
An object of the present invention is to provide a dose counter device for a fluid dispenser that does not suffer from the above-mentioned drawbacks.
In particular, an object of the present invention is to provide a dose counter device that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and to assemble.
An object of the present invention is also to provide such a dose counter device that does not significantly change the outside dimensions of the fluid dispenser device to which it is applied.
An object of the present invention is also to provide such a dose counter device that is capable of counting any number of doses, including very large numbers, without significantly changing the size of the fluid dispenser.
A further object of the present invention is to provide such a dose counter device that can be used with actuating members, in particular valves, that have variable actuating strokes.
The present invention thus provides a dose counter device for a fluid dispenser, said device comprising counting means actuated by actuating means each time the dispenser is used, said device being characterized in that said counting means comprise at least one flexible rotary counting element applied against and turning on a curved support surface.
Preferably, said flexible counting element is deformed each time it is actuated so as to remain in contact with said curved support surface.
Advantageously, said flexible counting element is in the form of a disk, and is provided with a ring of serrations or the like around its outer edge, which ring of serrations is suitable for co-operating with said actuating means.
In a particular embodiment of the present invention, said counting means comprise two superposed flexible rotary counting elements, said actuating means co-operating with the first counting element, and coupling means being provided between the two counting elements for causing the second counting element to turn, said coupling means being mounted to move between a non-coupling position and a coupling position.
Advantageously, said counting elements turn about a common axis of rotation, said coupling means comprising a resilient tab secured to or integral with one of the two counting elements and co-operating with a slot provided in the other counting element, said tab being urged into the coupling position by cam means each time the first coupling element has turned through one full turn.
In a variant, said counting elements turn about mutually offset parallel axes of rotation, said coupling means comprising a stud that is secured to or integral with one of the two counting elements, that co-operates with a projection secured to or integral with the other counting element, and that comes into the coupling position each time the first counting element turns through one full turn.
Advantageously, the second counting element is implemented in the form of a flexible disk or of an angular sector of flexible disk.
Advantageously, one of the two superposed flexible counting elements is provided with a window for viewing the other counting element.
Advantageously, one of the two superposed flexible counting elements is organized to be transparent for the purpose of viewing the other counting element.
The present invention also provides a dispenser for dispensing a fluid, said dispenser comprising a fluid reservoir, a dispensing member, such as a pump or a valve, and a dispensing orifice, for selectively dispensing said fluid, said dispenser further comprising a dose counter disk.
Preferably, said at least one counting element is disposed between two concentric substantially cylindrical surfaces, the axis of rotation of said at least one counting element being substantially perpendicular to said substantially cylindrical surfaces.
Advantageously, said at least one counting element is disposed between the outer body of the dispenser and an inner body inside which the reservoir is mounted.
In a first embodiment of the invention, said reservoir is mounted to slide inside said inner body, said reservoir co-operating with said actuating means for actuating the dose counter device, so that, by moving, the reservoir causes the counter to be actuated.
Advantageously, said actuating means comprise an actuating finger mounted to be moved with the reservoir so as to co-operate with said counting element, said finger being flexible, at least in the direction in which the reservoir moves, so that it can adapt to accommodate various displacement strokes over which the reservoir is moved.
Advantageously, the dispensing member is a metering valve adapted to dispensing a fluid with a propellant gas, the displacement stroke of the reservoir corresponding to the actuating stroke of the valve member of the metering valve.
Advantageously, said flexible finger is part of an actuator member mounted to slide between said inner body of the dispenser and said reservoir, said inner body defining a window through which said flexible finger co-operates with said counting element, said window being provided with an abutment against which said flexible finger comes when it moves axially, so that any additional axial movement causes said flexible finger to be deformed elastically.
In a second embodiment of the present invention, the reservoir is mounted to be fixed in the body of the dispenser, said dispenser further comprising a dispensing element for actuating said dispensing member, said actuating means for actuating said dose counter device being constrained to move with said dispensing element.
Advantageously, said dispensing element is a cover mounted to pivot between a position in which the dispensing orifice is closed, and a dispensing position, the dispensing member being a pump triggerable by inhaling.